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Randy Babbitt, administrator of the FAA, was taken into custody Saturday by Fairfax County police and charged with driving while intoxicated, according to a news release from the city of Fairfax, Virginia. At about 10:30 p.m. Babbitt was seen driving on the wrong side of the road and was pulled over. He was alone in the car at the time and no accident related to the incident has been reported. After being taken to a local jail, he was released on a personal recognizance bond and faces a February 2 court date. The DOT has released comments regarding Babbitt's employment.

The Department of Transportation issued comments, Monday, that following the incident Babbitt asked for and received a leave of absence. Deputy administrator Michael Huerta is now serving as acting administrator. According to the DOT, the department is "in discussions with legal counsel about Administrator Babbitt's employment status." Babbitt flew 25 years for Eastern Airlines and was sworn in to lead the FAA on June 1, 2009. Fairfax City police operate under a general order that forces them to release "any criminal charge or serious traffic charge." Those charges include driving under the influence and reckless driving. The police do not need to release the administrator's blood-alcohol level. Virginia state law applies the driving while intoxicated (DWI) definition to those found to have a .08-or-higher blood alcohol concentration while driving.

Question of the Week

Picture of the Week

As aviation photos go, this was the best this week but there are some great beauty shots when you click through. In the meantime, congratulations to Daniel Gillette for this very nice photo he calls Sunset Pitch-Out. The photo is copyrighted by Gillette.